One Simple Word Changes Everything
by Austlly007
Summary: 16 yrsold Katniss Everdeen is tired of the style she is currently living in. Going to school and getting bullied then coming home and getting bullied some more, not to mention the cyber-bullying too. Could life get any worse? What happens when her teacher assigns her a pen pal which happens to be a boy she knew from her past? Will that change anything? Can she remember OSWCE?


Hi ya Peeps! ㈳5㈴1 Andy here! :-D Happy 5 day! Or in Spanish it would be "Cinco de mayo" day! Hope you are enjoying a day of nice weather and fun! Summer is just around the corner! I bet you are all waiting for school to be over, I know I am. Just one question I want to ask, have you  
been bullied before? If so, do you wanna know how to defeat your bully? If you are on here looking for this questions then the answer is right here. This story that me and my friend Apufan007 wrote, will help kids and teens stand up to their bullies. And how you ask? By one simple word. It changes everything. So sit back, relax and enjoy the story ㈴2㈴1㈳5㈳6 Don't forget to read and review! – Andy aka Austlly007 and Apufan007

* * *

One Simple Word Changes Everything

Austlly007 and Apufan007

As Katniss enter the cafeteria, the room was filled with laughter. Teens teasing and laughing at her. She got her food and was looking for a seat to sit. Walking passed everyone laughing and throwing things at her, she finally found a seat in the back of the cafeteria where she normally sat. She always wondered why everyone was so mean to her, why couldn't she have peace for once. If she already got bullied at home then school would be the second place she was getting it, and she hated it. After the bell rang, Katniss walks to her last class of the day.

"Alright class, tomorrow I will be passing out a list of names of people who have been bullied. Once you have picked a name, write to that person. See what they are like, what they like to do, how they were able stand up to their bully. Maybe it will help you stand up to your bullies" says Ms. Trinket

Everyone takes notes as the teacher writes more things on the board… One of the teens throw a paper at Katniss, she opens it and all it says is "Dork" she crumples the paper and slides it under her book. The after school bell rang and the students cleared out of the school. As Katniss walked out, getting tripped and laughed at, she ran home from embarrassment.

When she reached home, she wiped away tears and walked inside her house. Going to straight to her room, she finds her older brother Finnick in there snooping around.

"Finnick what are you doing in my room!?" Katniss questions

"You took my iPad! Give it back!" Finnick scolds

"I don't have your stupid iPad" Katniss states

"It's not stupid, you are" Finnick strikes back

Katniss is hurt by his words but tries not to show emotion. She just walks to her desk and puts her books down.

"Just go away Finn" Katniss calmly says

"I'll go away when you give me back what is mine" Finnick argues

"I told you I don't have it!" Katniss argues back and rises her voice

Then Finnick glances at the floor and sees his iPad. He rages with anger, grabs the iPad, and walks over to his sister and shows it to her.

"See!? You did have it!" Finnick yells

"I didn't put it there! You or Cato must've done that! Stop always pointing the finger at me!" Katniss yells back

"Ugh! You are ruthless!" Finnick states

"Oh yeah? What else you got?!" Katniss patronizes her brother…

"You're stupidly ugly and no guy would ever like you!" Finnick calls out.

He then storms out of the room. Katniss then showed emotion of hurt as her own brother called her names, and then left. She sat her desk, and reached down in her backpack for her homework folder. As she got it out and started working on it, she noticed a crumpled paper in her folder. She open it and it was the same note some teens threw at her saying that she was a dork or dumb. She crumpled the paper and threw it in her trash can.

The next day was the same, walk to school, do classes, get laughed at, tripped and embarrassed. Ms. Trinket walks to each desk of her students handing them papers…

Katniss looks at all the names, one stands out to her. She recognizes it from when she was in junior high school. She picks that name and starts writing her letter.

She had no clue if this guy was the one she kind of knew once or just some other guy with the same name. There are a lot of people who have the same name, she thought. So the only way to find out would be to write to this guy and see what happens.

"_Dear Peeta, _

_My name is Katniss Everdeen and I'm 16 years old. I go to Mocking Jay High School, I am part of a class that helps prevent kids and teens from being bullied. My class assignment was to write to a person who has been bullied, and out of all the many people on the list, I picked you. So where do you live? How old are you? Are you still in school? _

_Signed, Katniss"_

Katniss sealed the letter and dropped it on the teacher's desk on her way out…

She was curious to know about this young man or boy, what he does for a living. Or if he still goes to school. What his interests were. But then on the other hand, she could care less about him and just get her assignment done. She had more things to worry about then some boy who has been bullied.

A week had passed and letters had come in from the teens and kids the students had written to. The teacher, Ms. Trinket passed them out. Katniss got hers and quickly opened it.

It read: _"Dear Katniss,_

_I think it's good that you are a part of a class that helps prevent kids and teens from getting bullied. If they had that when I was in high school, I would have joined too. In your letter you asked some questions, here are your answers._

_I'm 18 years old, I go to Panem University in New York City. I live in Manhattan, New York. _

_Where do you live? And what are your interests? In other words what do you want to do with your life?_

_Signed, Peeta"_

Katniss put the letter in her homework folder, then her backpack and walked out of class just as the bell rang…

At home doing her homework, Katniss couldn't help but keep glancing at the letter she received. While continuing her homework one of her brothers sneak up and snatches the letter.

"Who's the guy with the funny name?" asks Cato

"Give that back Cato!" Katniss snaps at her brother.

"Easy Kit Kat, I'm not going to hurt it… Oops I lied!" says Cato as he rips the paper into two halves.

"I hate you" Katniss states

"I know! Isn't it great?!" Cato says sarcastically

"Get out of here!" Katniss rises her voice

"Stubborn brat" Cato says as he leaves

Katniss stares down at the ripped paper, she picked up the pieces and laid it on her desk. Then she got an idea of what she wanted write in her next letter. She ripped out a piece of line paper and began to write.

"_Dear Peeta,_

_So you've graduated high school already? That's must be a relief. I wish I could graduate high school. I don't really know what I want to do with my life yet. All I know right now is that, I'm stuck in the world of torture. Getting bullied at school, and even at home is such a pain I have to live with. Do you have any siblings that are so annoying you wish they never existed? By the way, I live in Chicago, Illinois. What do you want to do with your life?_

_Signed, Katniss"_

And with that, she sealed the letter and put it in her backpack…

The next few days of school were like a tornado. Katniss would wake up, walk to school, go through the whole thing of teens and kids teasing and mocking her, just barely passing her classes, and the only thing that she looked forward to was getting a letter from Peeta.

Katniss eventually was able to be accepted by some people. At least she had some friends, it's better than being alone all the time.

"Hey Katniss" Primrose greeted

"Hi Primrose" Katniss greeted back

Primrose walked with Katniss to her house and they went up to her room.

"So how's life?" Primrose asks

"The same, I'm totally invisible to everyone. But the only time I'm not invisible, is when I'm getting picked on or teased" Katniss answers

"Oh, well maybe things will lighten up" Primrose says hopingly

They do homework, talk, and watch TV...

"Ms. Everdeen?" says Ms. Trinket a few days later at school.

Katniss turns to her teacher.

"Yes?" Katniss says

"Did you turn in your letter?" asks Ms. Trinket

"Yes, a few days ago" Katniss answers

Ms. Trinket searches her desk and finds a letter for Katniss…

"Oh yes, I forgot. Here is the reply to your letter" says Ms. Trinket

She hands Katniss the letter and walks back to her desk... Katniss is about to open it when the bell rings, she puts it in her backpack and walks out of class meeting Primrose and another girl in the hall...

"Katniss, this is my friend Rue" Primrose introduces

"Hi." Says Rue

"Hi." Katniss says back

The three girls walk to Primrose's house and hang out. Doing homework, playing on their phones, watching TV, laughing. Katniss couldn't really remember the last time she had actually had a great time, and actually laughed... As soon as she got home, she took out the letter and began to read it.

"Dear Katniss,

Yes, I have graduated high school already. And it was a relief. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with my life either. Just waiting to see what God has planned for me I guess. And no, I don't have any siblings but I did have some people in my family I wished never existed. I understand how you must feel about being bullied at school and at home, it's shocking when it comes from your own home. I felt the same way. I live on my own now, well I live with some friends but you could say I am on my own. So what's it like there in Chicago? I haven't been there in a long time, has anything changed? And do you have siblings?

Signed, Peeta"

Katniss closed the letter and put it in her drawer so her brothers wouldn't get into it. She thought about what her reply should be all night long. Then she wondered, he has been here before? When? Thoughts of possibly getting to meet him someday pondered her mind as she tried to sleep.

"Dear Peeta,

Thanks for understanding. There's really no other people who can really understand what it's like to be in my life. Yes, apparently I have siblings. I have two older brothers who drive me crazy, if not insane already. I get home from a long horrible day of being bullied just so I could get bullied some more. It's so stupid. Who were the people that annoyed and bullied you? Was there a person that saved you from bullies? How did you get them to stop? Chicago hasn't really changed much, still fogy, lots of train smoke, cars, trucks honking at each other. Same old noise Chicago. So you've been here before? When was that? What's it like in New York, much less what's it like in Manhattan?

Signed, Katniss"

There was no reply for over two weeks. Katniss began to worry if she just lost someone to talk to or maybe Peeta just didn't want to talk to her anymore. She came up to her teacher's desk every week asking if there's any mail for her and still nothing would come. Until one day when Katniss was being teased and mocked, her teacher came and gave her a letter. She was so happy and rushed home to read it. It made her day.

"Dear Katniss,

I'm sorry I haven't written in so long. I have been under the weather, plus I have school and a job, I just couldn't find time to write to you. Chicago sounds like over here in New York. Just more worse, instead of people honking at each other, they would actually get out of their cars and yell at each other. It's even crazier in Manhattan. Yes, I have been to Chicago. I grew up there, I've been through the same routine, go to school get bullied then come home and get bullied some more. It was terrible. I was bullied, teased and humiliated so much that I started thinking that the world would be better without me, so one day I went decided I was going to commit suicide.

I thought that the answer to make them stop, because I had no one to help me. Everyone thought I was strange because of my name, they teased me about it all the time. And when they found out what it meant, they teased and humiliated me even more. I just couldn't take it anymore so the next day I went to school, did my classes, got bullied, and when school was over I cleaned out my locker and was walking home. When I bumped into this girl, she helped me picked my stuff up. When she saw my name on one of my folders, I instantly thought she was going to be like everyone else and tease me about it but she did the opposite. She actually liked my name, and the way I am. So in a way she saved me. I was going to go home and kill myself but I didn't.

Instead I became friends with her. I still went through being bullied at home, the person that bullied me the most at home was my mother. She used to abuse me. Of course after I left for college in New York, she died of a stroke, but just cause she's gone doesn't mean the horrible memories and nightmares go away. I have the scars to prove they existed. After I left junior high, I never saw that girl again. I went through high school met my friends and now here we are. So take it from me, don't let the bullying of this world get you down. Because I know that girl that saved my life, was you.

Signed, Peeta"

Katniss was shocked at what she read. I saved him? But how? When? She pondered and pondered... As she went to school, talked with her friend Primrose and came home to her brothers and aunt. She tried remembering this boy, how she could have done something so amazing. Everyone has always told her that she can't do anything right and that she is just a trap waiting for someone to step on her. Even her brothers told her she was never going to get a guy because she will never be beautiful. Now she saved someone's life? But how? If she is so bad and filled with what people say "bad luck" then how did she save this guy's life? Maybe she isn't so bad after all. Katniss waited a week before replying. The assignment for writing to these teens was going to be over in a few days so Katniss wanted to get a reply before then. She took out a piece of paper and began writing.

"Dear Peeta,

Sorry about your mother. My father died from a stroke when I was 10. My mother couldn't take care of us so my aunt took my brothers and me in. I sometimes wish she just took my brothers, then maybe the bullying would stop. But that wish never comes true. I am so bullied at high school because everyone thinks I'm a jinx. That if they are friends with me something bad will happen them. I am a little clumsy but I can't help it, everyone makes me nervous. If I'm so bad, then how could I have saved your life? You don't really know me and if you did then something bad would have happened to you. I had friends but things would always happen and they would ditch me. I've been alone for such a long time I started believing what everyone says about me. I'm not what you think. I'm probably not the one who saved you. I don't even know you. How could someone as ugly and stupid as me save a life?

Signed Katniss"

She sealed it and gave it to the teacher on the way out… Walking home with Primrose, they talked and talked about Primrose's cute cat: Buttercup. How it would always know when Primrose got home and how he likes belly rubs. They did homework in Katniss' room, finishing projects and cleaning out their homework folders. One of the letters from Peeta slipped out of Katniss' bag. Primrose picked up and looked at it.

"What's this?" Primrose asks holding the letter

"Uh, in one of my classes we had to write to a person who was bullied and then share with the class what we've learned from the person we have been writing to" Katniss explains

"So what have you learned from this 'Peeta' guy?" Primrose asks

"Must surface stuff at first but then it got kind of deep, I don't even remember meeting him in junior high" Katniss answers

"You met this guy?" Primrose asks surprised

"No, I don't know. He says he knows me but I don't know him." Katniss rushes to answer

"Oh well just you ask him how he knows you?" Primrose continues asking

"Yeah, I did, but he hasn't replied yet" Katniss says

"Oh" Primrose says flatly

They continue working, giggling, talking and just being girly… Katniss never really felt loved before, not since her dad died. Her aunt comes in and gives them a snack, and leaves them to do what they want. Peeta's letter came in several days later just in time before the writing assignment was over. The teacher, Ms. Trinket passed out the last set of letters…

"Now remember class, you must gather everything you have learned from your pen pal and make an essay or a story. Telling the reader what you and this person have been through and how you got out of it. How other people could get out of it… And if you do wish to continue speaking to your pen pal, just give them your address" Ms. Trinket explains

All the students either opened their letters or just stuffed it in their backpacks… A boy sitting down behind Katniss pulls her braid.

"What's your pen pal's name?" asks the boy

Katniss turns and sees a dark haired boy.

"What makes you think I would tell you?" Katniss asks

"Oh just 'cause I've heard you are one of those softies" answers the boy

"So? Even if I wasn't I still wouldn't tell you" Katniss says turning back to her desk

"The name's Marvel. What's yours?" the boy asks slyly

"You probably already know my name. Why should I tell you?" Katniss asks

"Because you like me" he answers

Katniss smirks...

"Yeah right. You could have any girl, why do you have to pick on me?"

"I'm not picking on you"

"You're annoying me"

"But that's picking not you"

Katniss sighs angrily and just stops talking… When the bell rings, she quickly walks out to meet Primrose and Rue.

"So did you get a reply?" asks Primrose

"Yea, I'm gonna read it later" Katniss answers

"Alright" Primrose says

They walk out together and walk to Primrose's house…

"You know, I've always wondered why the alphabet is used in math. Do you girls know?" asks Rue siting up from her lying position on the floor.

"No, not exactly." Primrose answers, looking up from her books.

Katniss stares at the letter that had come in today from her pen pal. Debating if she should open it or wait. But the curiosity of what Peeta's answer was eating up at her…

"So how's that essay about bullying going?" Primrose asks, after a long while of silence

"Good I guess. Still needs work but I think it'll be okay" Katniss says

"Awesome, can't wait to read it" Rue and Primrose reply

Laughing as they realize they just said something together… Katniss notices the time and cleans up her stuff.

"See you girls tomorrow." Says Katniss, walking out of the room

"Bye Katniss" the girls call

Arriving at home soaked to the skin, Katniss knows if she doesn't get to her room fast enough and change, her aunt would not be pleased. But when was the last time someone listened to her? Never. Katniss hurried up the steps, quickly getting her wet clothes off and putting on some dry ones. Then checking to see if any of her stuff got wet. Thank God nothing was damaged. Suddenly remembering the letter, Katniss searches her bag for the envelope. Almost on the edge of panic, she finds it in her homework folder…

Lying on her bed, she opens the letter and begins to read:

"Dear Katniss,

Never think about yourself like you are never going to amount to anything or that you're not beautiful. Because you are. You are beautiful. You mean something to the world. It's kind of amazing how one simple word can change everything about a person. Good or bad. One simple word, it impacts a person's self-confidence. Whether it's something uplifting or putting down, it effects the way people think about themselves. When someone is being mistreated for so long, it tears down their self-confidence and they begin believing what other people say and it makes them feel like the world would be better if they just disappeared. But in reality, that's never going to be the answer, because we all have a part in this world. I was like that, I started believing what people were saying about me, how it would be best of I didn't exist. But one simple word changed my life, one simple comment kept me from ending my life. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't be here right now. I would have gone through with committing suicide. But you saved me, beautiful or not. Besides, look at it this way, it doesn't really matter how you look on the outside, it how you look in the inside that counts the most. You probably don't remember me, I was always the one in the corner of the room, the one no one talks to. But you, you talked to me, you made me feel needed. I never thought I would be able to return the favor, but look where we are. Finally well not exactly seeing each other but we're communicating. It's been great, hope your project works on the anti-bullying. Just remember One Simple Word Changes Everything. Maybe it will help turn your enemies into your friends. Nice knowing you, Katniss Everdeen. Goodbye for now.

Signed, Peeta Mellark"

After reading that it gave Katniss something to think about. Just by saying one word can effect someone's life. Could be a blessing or a curse, it's up to us… Katniss passed her class with straight A's and her paper: One Simple Word Changes Everything won best anti-bullying essay of the year. She traveled to different schools reading her essay and changed a lot of people. Bullying maybe something you are doing but you don't exactly know you are doing it. Our words are seeds and whatever we plant, we will harvest. So if we plant hurtful words, horrible acts of bullying, we are bound to harvest those things. But if we plant words of encouragement, love, care, kindness and peace, then we are going to harvest those wonderful things.

13.5 million Teenagers commit suicide in one whole year. All because of one thing: Bullying. The bullying needs to stop. And all it takes is just one simple word, even just a smile. It gives hope to the ones who need it. There are going be some people like Peeta, who thought the world would be better without them, but in reality, we need them. Katniss was just a normal teenager going through life's trails, when she bumps into Peeta. Being as normal as she is she helps Peeta with his stuff and says something as little as "Your name is pretty cool" and it changed something in Peeta, instead of going through his plan of killing himself, he actually found someone who liked him for who he was. We may help someone and not even know that we spared them from making a terrible mistake.

Though Katniss never got to see Peeta, she knew that anytime she didn't feel important, that all she had to do remember that an 18 year old boy in New York believes in her. It made her better, and when it was her time to grow up, she never forgot him and his encouraging letters that kept her going. She now teaches at a school, teaching kids to stand up to bullies and to be careful with their words. 21 years old and still going Katniss meets a 23 year old Gale Hawthorne who is in the same business, they become very close and in fact… Just maybe… Okay I'll tell you, they get married and live happily ever after. Just like a fairy tale right? I think so..

THE END….

* * *

**not too hard right? all it takes is one simple word, that isn't too hard right? if you have a friend or family member in need because of problems such as cyber-bullying or regular face to face bullying, just tell them that one simple word can change everything. because of course we don't want anything bad to happen to us or to love ones, so remember, OSCE. (one simple word changes everything) just like our story. thanks for reading! Hope this helped boost up your day! please R&R! **

**with Love,**

**Austlly007 and Apufan007**


End file.
